• This light only shows that the parking brake
is applied. It does not show the degree of
brake application.
When parking on a hill, it is important to turn
the front wheels toward the curb on a down-
hill grade and away from the curb on an uphill
grade. For vehicles equipped with an auto-
matic transmission, apply the parking brake
before placing the gear selector in PARK,
otherwise the load on the transmission lock-
ing mechanism may make it difficult to move
the gear selector out of PARK. The parking
brake should always be applied whenever the
driver is not in the vehicle.
WARNING!
• Never use the PARK position on an au-
tomatic transmission as a substitute for
the parking brake. Always apply the
parking brake fully when parked to guard
WARNING!
against vehicle movement and possible
injury or damage.
• When exiting the vehicle, always remove
the key fob from the ignition and lock
your vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle,
or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Allowing children to be in a vehicle un-
attended is dangerous for a number of
reasons. A child or others could be seri-
ously or fatally injured. Children should
be warned not to touch the parking
brake, brake pedal or the gear selector.
• Do not leave the key fob in or near the
vehicle, or in a location accessible to
children. A child could operate power
windows, other controls, or move the
vehicle.
• Be sure the parking brake is fully disen-
gaged before driving; failure to do so can
lead to brake failure and a collision.
WARNING!
• Always fully apply the parking brake
when leaving your vehicle or it may roll
and cause damage or injury. Also, be
certain to leave an automatic transmis-
sion in PARK, a manual transmission in
REVERSE or first gear. Failure to do so
may cause the vehicle to roll and cause
damage or injury.
CAUTION!
If the “Brake Warning Light” remains on
with the parking brake released, a brake
system malfunction is indicated. Have the
brake system serviced by an authorized
dealer immediately.
STARTING AND OPERATING
122
MANUAL TRANSMISSION —
IF EQUIPPED
WARNING!
You or others could be injured if you leave
the vehicle unattended without having the
parking brake fully applied. The parking
brake should always be applied when the
driver is not in the vehicle, especially on an
incline.
CAUTION!
Never drive with your foot resting on the
clutch pedal, or attempt to hold the ve-
hicle on a hill with the clutch pedal par-
CAUTION!
tially engaged, as this will cause abnormal
wear on the clutch.
NOTE:
During cold weather, you may experience
increased effort in shifting until the transmis-
sion fluid warms up. This is normal.
Shifting
Fully press the clutch pedal before shifting
gears. As you release the clutch pedal, lightly
press the accelerator pedal.
You should always use first gear when starting
from a standing position.
NOTE:
A certain amount of noise from the transmis-
sion is normal. This noise can be most notice-
able when the vehicle is idling in NEUTRAL
with the clutch engaged (clutch pedal re-
leased), but it may also be heard when driv-
ing. The noise may also be more noticeable
when the transmission is warm. This noise is
normal and is not an indication of a problem
with your clutch or transmission.
Shift Pattern
123
Recommended Vehicle Shift Speeds
To utilize your manual transmission effi-
ciently for both fuel economy and perfor-
mance, it should be upshifted as listed inrecommended shift speed chart. Shift at the
vehicle speeds listed for acceleration. When
heavily loaded or pulling a trailer these rec-
ommended up-shift speeds may not apply.
Manual Transmission Shift Speeds in MPH (KM/H)
Engine Speeds 1 to 2 2 to 3 3 to 4 4 to 5 5 to 6
3.6LAccel. 15 (24) 24 (39) 34 (55) 47 (76) 56 (90)
Cruise 10 (16) 19 (31) 27 (43) 37 (60) 41 (66)
NOTE:
Vehicle speeds shown in the chart above are
for 2H and 4H only, vehicle speeds in 4L
would be significantly less.
Downshifting
Moving from a high gear down to a lower gear
is recommended to preserve brakes when
driving down steep hills. In addition, down-
shifting at the right time provides better ac-
celeration when you desire to resume speed.
Downshift progressively. Do not skip gears to
avoid overspeeding the engine and clutch.
WARNING!
Do not downshift for additional engine
braking on a slippery surface. The drive
wheels could lose their grip, and the ve-
hicle could skid.
CAUTION!
• Skipping gears and downshifting into
lower gears at higher vehicle speeds can
damage the engine and clutch systems,
Any attempt to shift into lower gear with
clutch pedal depressed may result dam-
age to the clutch system. Shifting into
CAUTION!
lower gear and releasing the clutch may
result in engine damage.
• When descending a hill, be very careful
to downshift one gear at a time to pre-
vent overspeeding the engine which can
cause engine damage, and/or clutch
damage, even if the clutch pedal is
pressed. If transfer case is in low range
the vehicle speeds to cause engine and
clutch damage are significantly lower.
• Failure to follow the maximum recom-
mended downshifting speeds may cause
the engine damage and/or damage the
STARTING AND OPERATING
124
CAUTION!
clutch, even if the clutch pedal is
pressed.
• Descending a hill in low range with
clutch pedal depressed could result in
clutch damage.
Maximum Recommended Downshift Speeds
CAUTION!
Failure to follow the maximum recom-
mended downshifting speeds may cause
the engine to overspeed and/or damage the
clutch disc, even if the clutch pedal is
pressed.
Manual Transmission Downshift Speeds in MPH (KM/H)
Gear Selection 6 to 5 5 to 4 4 to 3 3 to 2 2 to 1
Maximum Speed 80 (129) 70 (113) 50 (81) 30 (48) 15 (24)
NOTE:
Vehicle speeds shown in the chart above are
for 2H and 4H only, vehicle speeds in 4L
would be significantly less.Reverse Shifting
To shift into REVERSE, bring the vehicle to a
complete stop. Press the clutch and pause
briefly to allow the gear train to stop rotating.
Beginning from the NEUTRAL position, move
the gear selector in one quick, smooth motion
straight across and into the REVERSE area
(the driver will feel a firm “click” as the
shifter passes the “knock-over”). Complete
the shift by pulling the gear selector into
REVERSE.The “knock-over” provides a resistance to the
driver from accidentally entering the RE-
VERSE shift area and warns the driver that
they are about to shift the transmission into
REVERSE. Due to this feature, a slow shift to
REVERSE can be perceived as a high shift
effort.
125
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION — IF
EQUIPPED
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if
the following precautions are not ob-
served:
• Shift into or out of PARK or REVERSE
only after the vehicle has come to a
complete stop.
• Do not shift between PARK, REVERSE,
NEUTRAL, or DRIVE when the engine is
above idle speed.
• Before shifting into any gear, make sure
your foot is firmly pressing the brake
pedal.
NOTE:
You must press and hold the brake pedal
while shifting out of PARK.
WARNING!
•Never use the PARK position as a substi-
tute for the parking brake. Always apply
the parking brake fully when exiting the
vehicle to guard against vehicle move-
ment and possible injury or damage.
• Your vehicle could move and injure you
and others if it is not in PARK. Check by
trying to move the gear selector out of
PARK with the brake pedal released.
Make sure the transmission is in PARK
before exiting the vehicle.
• It is dangerous to shift out of PARK or
NEUTRAL if the engine speed is higher
than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
pressing the brake pedal, the vehicle
could accelerate quickly forward or in
reverse. You could lose control of the
vehicle and hit someone or something.
Only shift into gear when the engine is
idling normally and your foot is firmly
pressing the brake pedal.
• Unintended movement of a vehicle
could injure those in or near the vehicle.
As with all vehicles, you should never
WARNING!
exit a vehicle while the engine is run-
ning. Before exiting a vehicle always
come to a complete stop, then apply the
parking brake, shift the transmission
into PARK, turn the engine OFF, and
remove the ignition key. Once the key is
removed, the transmission is locked in
PARK, securing the vehicle against un-
wanted movement.
• When exiting the vehicle, always remove
the ignition key from the vehicle and
lock the vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle,
or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Allowing children to be in a vehicle un-
attended is dangerous for a number of
reasons. A child or others could be seri-
ously or fatally injured. Children should
be warned not to touch the parking
brake, brake pedal or the transmission
gear selector.
• Do not leave the ignition key in or near
the vehicle (or in a location accessible to
children). A child could operate power
STARTING AND OPERATING
126
WARNING!
windows, other controls, or move the
vehicle.
Key Ignition Park Interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition
Park Interlock which requires the transmis-
sion to be in PARK before the ignition can be
turned to the LOCK/OFF (key removal) posi-
tion. The key can only be removed from the
ignition when the ignition is in the LOCK/OFF
position, and once removed the transmission
is locked in PARK.
NOTE:
If a malfunction occurs, the system will trap
the key in the ignition to warn you that this
safety feature is inoperable. The engine can
be started and stopped but the key cannot be
removed until you obtain service.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock
System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Trans-
mission Shift Interlock System (BTSI) that
holds the transmission gear selector in PARK
unless the brakes are applied. To shift the
transmission out of PARK, the ignition must
be in the ON/RUN position (engine running or
not) and the brake pedal must be pressed.
Five-Speed Automatic Transmission — If
Equipped
The transmission gear position display (lo-
cated in the instrument cluster) indicates the
transmission gear range. You must press the
brake pedal to move the gear selector out of
PARK (refer to “Brake/Transmission Shift In-
terlock System” in this section). To drive,
move the gear selector from PARK or NEU-
TRAL to the DRIVE position.The electronically-controlled transmission
adapts its shift schedule based on driver
inputs, along with environmental and road
conditions. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating; therefore, the first few shifts
on a new vehicle may be somewhat abrupt.
This is a normal condition, and precision
shifts will develop within a few hundred miles
(kilometers).
Only shift from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE
when the accelerator pedal is released and
the vehicle is stopped. Be sure to keep your
foot on the brake pedal when shifting be-
tween these gears.
The transmission gear selector has only
PARK, REVERSE, NEUTRAL, and DRIVE
shift positions. Manual shifts can be made
using the Autostick shift control. Moving the
gear selector to the left or right (-/+) while in
the DRIVE position will manually select the
transmission gear and will display the current
127
gear in the instrument cluster as 1, 2, 3, etc.
Refer to “AutoStick” in this section for fur-
ther information.
Autostick
AutoStick is a driver-interactive transmission
feature providing manual shift control, giving
you more control of the vehicle. AutoStick
allows you to maximize engine braking, elimi-
nate undesirable upshifts and downshifts,
and improve overall vehicle performance.This system can also provide you with more
control during passing, city driving, cold slip-
pery conditions, mountain driving, trailer
towing, and many other situations.
Operation
When the gear selector is in the DRIVE posi-
tion, the transmission will operate automati-
cally, shifting between the five available
gears. To engage AutoStick, simply tap the
gear selector to the right or left (+/-) while in
the DRIVE position. Tapping (-) to enter
AutoStick mode will downshift the transmis-
sion to the next lower gear, while using (+) to
enter AutoStick mode will retain the current
gear. When AutoStick is active, the current
transmission gear is displayed in the instru-
ment cluster.
In AutoStick mode, the transmission will
shift up or down when (+/-) is manually se-
lected by the driver, unless an engine lugging
or overspeed condition would result. It will
remain in the selected gear until anotherupshift or downshift is chosen, except as
described below.
• The transmission will automatically upshift
when necessary to prevent engine over-
speed.
• Heavily pressing the accelerator pedal will
generate an automatic downshift (for im-
proved acceleration) when reasonable.
• The transmission will automatically down-
shift as the vehicle slows (to prevent engine
lugging) and will display the current gear.
• The transmission will automatically down-
shift to first gear when coming to a stop.
After a stop, the driver should manually
upshift (+) the transmission as the vehicle
is accelerated.
• You can start out, from a stop, in first or
second gear. Tapping (+) (at a stop) will
allow starting in second gear. Starting out
in second gear can be helpful in snowy or
icy conditions.
Gear Selector
STARTING AND OPERATING
128
• The system will ignore attempts to upshift
at too low of a vehicle speed.
• Avoid using speed control when AutoStick
is engaged.
• Transmission shifting will be more notice-
able when AutoStick is enabled.
NOTE:
When the transfer case is in the 4L (Low)
range, the transmission will shift automati-
cally (but no higher than the displayed gear).
To disengage AutoStick mode, hold the gear
selector to the right (+) until "D" is once again
displayed in the instrument cluster. You can
shift in or out of the AutoStick mode at any
time without taking your foot off the accelera-
tor pedal.
WARNING!
Do not downshift for additional engine
braking on a slippery surface. The drive
wheels could lose their grip and the ve-
hicle could skid, causing a collision or
personal injury.
FOUR–WHEEL DRIVE
OPERATION (COMMAND-
TRAC I OR ROCK-TRAC)
WARNING!
Failure to engage a transfer case position
completely can cause transfer case dam-
age or loss of power and vehicle control.
You could have a collision. Do not drive the
vehicle unless the transfer case is fully
engaged.
Operating Instructions/Precautions
The transfer case provides four mode posi-
tions:
• 2H (Two-Wheel Drive High Range)
• 4H (Four-Wheel Drive High Range)
• N (Neutral)
• 4L (Four-Wheel Drive Low Range)The transfer case is intended to be driven in
the 2H position for normal street and highway
conditions, such as hard-surfaced roads.
In the event that additional traction is re-
quired, the transfer case 4H and 4L positions
can be used to lock the front and rear drive-
shafts together, forcing the front and rear
wheels to rotate at the same speed. The 4H
and 4L positions are intended for loose, slip-
pery road surfaces only and not intended for
normal driving. Driving in the 4H and 4L
Four-Wheel Drive Gear Selector
129